Ruth Thomas Garden Design
Department of Earth Science Pollinator Garden, University of Oxford
The department of Earth Sciecnes at Oxford Univesrity had three empty flower beds next to their offices that were slowly being taken over by weeds. The brief was to create a planting plan that will have interest throughout the year, be good for wildlife and pollinators (including the bees kept on the office roof), be low maintenance and have long lasting plants.
With this collection of plants there will be something in flower throughout the full calendar year. During the summer months, when most pollinators are active, there is a wide variety of flower shapes and sizes to be of use to as many types of insect as possible. During the winter months there are several grasses and seed heads that will provide food, shelter and habitat to a range of wildlife. All the plants have been chosen as reliable plants that should flower for many years to come.
The design is based on the classic diagram of a subduction zone as taken from Earth Science literature. The rosemary hedges that run through all 3 beds will be trimmed short and square and will be evergreen. These will be seen both by walking past the beds and from the offices which face the garden. In the summer the flowers will spill over the top of these hedges masking most of the shape, in the winter the hedges will be left, along with the grasses, as structural interest and the pattern will be much more visible.
During Mental Health Week at the University, the Department of Earth Sciences staff took the initiative to plant these beds themselves. This gardening opportunity allowed students and staff to get their hands dirty and connect with nature.
The department and I are immensely proud that this garden achieved 'Good Gardener' status, as part of the University's scheme to promote biodiverse planting around campus buildings.
